Gluten-Free Giveaways: 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster

Carol Fenster, author of several gluten-free cookbooks, has been gluten-free for two decades. Her new book, 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes, is the Big Daddy of the bunch. If there is one thing that you can’t have too many of, it is cookbooks and recipes! Just browsing through this book gives you so many cooking ideas. I’ve tried two of the recipes and they turned out to be really big hits- even at my office full of gluten-gluttons! (Gluten-Free Pizza recipe soon to follow).

I’ve always remembered what my cookbook junkie brother, John, once said about buying cookbooks, "If a cookbook costs, let’s say $20-35 dollars, and you get at least one good recipe out of it, it has paid for itself since one meal out would cost the equivalent or more." With 1000 recipes Carol’s book will be paying for itself over and over and over again. What a great investment!

Wiley has offered to give away 2 copies of this book to our faithful readers! I’ve also asked Carol to be available today (September 30th, 2008) to answer your pressing gluten-free cooking questions!

Here’s the deal:

In the comments below, submit your cooking question for Carol. Throughout the day Carol will kindly try to answer your questions within the comments section. Fun, huh? Almost real time chatting with a gluten-free superstar! Her answers will be signed by CAROL in all capital letters so it will be easy to identify them. At the end of the day Carol will select two winnersfrom the comments section to receive a copy of 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes. If you don’t have a question, I’m sure you can think of something nice or witty to say to Carol in regards to gluten-free cooking.

Need help getting started? Here are some example questions:

" Why does my gluten-free bread sag in the middle?"

"What is your favorite gluten-free flour, Carol?"

"Have you ever successfully made puff pastry?"

Now go! Don’t be shy. Ask Carol your question. She’s waiting…

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Theresa asked about tortillas: The store-bought tortillas become soft and supple if you put them on a bacon splatter guard, place it over a skillet of simmering water, and put a big lid on top to capture the steam. This only takes about 5 seconds, and they’re ready to roll into wraps, burritos, etc. It’s best to eat them right away after steaming. I use them almost daily as a quick wrap, filling them with tuna salad, or peanut butter, or any other sandwich filling.

Sharon asked about easy whole grains to cook: One of the easiest and fastest is quinoa, because it takes only 20 minutes to cook and can be eaten as a side dish, dressed up with Tabbouleh ingredients, eaten as porridge for breakfast with brown sugar, cinnamon, etc. and treated like couscous in side dishes. It’s one of the most nutritious grains on earth and I heartily recommend it.
I’m also a fan of brown rice, and it is foolproof to cook but takes a longer time (around 45 minutes or so). A rice cooker is a great way to cook these whole grains, too.

Holiday Foods: Many of you are thinking ahead to our holiday favorite dishes like stuffing and the infamous, green bean casserole. You can use any plain GF bread or cornbread and I provide stuffing recipes in 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes such as Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Fruit. I also offer a Bread Pudding Stuffing, which I now make every year. It’s a softer stuffing, more like a custard-based bread pudding and my guests love it. I often cut it into squares, rather than scooping it out of the dish. Because it is so soft, it’s better not to stuff the bird with it.

I made the Green Bean Casserole with Onion Topping by thickening it with sweet rice flour (my favorite thickener) rather than using Cream of Mushroom Soup, and dredging the onions in cornstarch (or white rice flour) before frying, rather than using the store-bought fried onions. (see the recipe in my new book)

Aimee asked about recipes using tapioca flour. My flour blend that I posted earlier today uses tapicoa flour, but you might try the Cheese Bread Balls in my book, Gluten-Free 101. They’re based on a Brazilian bread and use lots of tapioca flour and cheese. They’re fabulously tasty, super-simple to make, and we often serve them at family gatherings because the whole family loves them.

Rob, there is a GF roux in 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes in the Shrimp Etouffee and I found it surprisingly easier to make than I expected. I use a bechamel (white) sauce in Macaroni and Cheese recipe in that same book. Thickening it with sweet rice flour (available at Bob’s Red Mill) is a great way to get that silky smooth texture.

High Altitude Issues: We blame altitude more often than we should. I bake all over the nation, have testers all over the nation, and I have found that the chief difference is that bread takes longer to rise. I don’t make any other changes to accommodate altitude at all. Our GF bread is wetter and “erases” many of the issues with baking. I bake cakes in smaller 8 or 9-inch cake pans, rather than 13 x 9-inch pan. I love Bundt pans for GF cakes. Cupcakes work just fine. If they “peak” too much, turn down the heat by 25 degrees and see if that helps. If not, try 25 degrees lower again, but you might need to bake a bit longer.

Converting recipes: When I use my Sorghum Flour Blend (posted earlier today) my approach is to start out using the same proportions as the original recipe. If the dough or batter is too wet, add more flour blend at 1/4 cup at a time. If the dough or batter is too dry, add liquid a tablespoon at a time. Write down what you do so you know how to make the recipe next time.

If you’re using a rice flour blend, you might reduce the flour by 2 tablesoons in a 2 cup-flour recipe. This is because rice flour is heavier and more dense than other flours.

As with all recipe conversions, there is some experimenting that needs to be done. Good luck!!!

Shelly asked about a kid recipe: My favorite recipe is any of my pizza crust recipes. But here is my secret: Bake the crust ahead of time for the first 10 minutes, then cool and wrap it tightly and freeze it. (Now it’s like having Boboli crusts in your freezer.) You can use store-bought pizza sauce for convenience.

When you want pizza, remove the crust from the freezer. It will thaw as you asemble the toppings on it. Then bake the pizza for about 20 minutes. No kid can resist pizza!!!

Carol,
I love your books and have favorites from each one. Our most recent is the Caribbean chicken with mango corn salsa. We’ve cruised frequently with Celebrity, they thicken all of their soups with rice flour. I’ve tried but have not been successful in a creamy consistancy. What am I doing wrong? Is it that I make large quantities at a time or is it the time allowed to thicken? Are you able to offer a formula that works each time?
Carol

Carol, What is your secret for a good Gluten-free cake that doesn’t deflate once it comes out of the oven? I am dying for a Birthday cake for ME but most of the recipes I’ve tried rise in the oven and then flop after cooling
Also most of them turn out pretty dry and crumbly. Would love to bake a GF cake that resembles good ‘ole Duncan Hines. Looking forward to perusing your answers in this forum and also checking out the new cookbook! Congrats to you!!

Hi Carol,
Whenever we make a pre-packaged mix we follow the directions to the letter – yet they (brownies, cookies, breads) aren’t cooked in the middle. Even when they are left in the oven for extra time this is an issue. We don’t have this problem with gluten items baked in the same pan and/or oven. What should we be doing differently? Thanks!

I am a newly diagnosed celiac with intolerances to dairy, soy and corn. In addition, I also have problems with GERD and stay away from food that can provoke it. Do any of your recipes take into consideration other food intolerances? I’m so tired of eating the same thing all the time and would love to find more than just one or two recipes of food that take into consideration other food intolerances.

any tips on makeing a traditional cold macoroni salid the kind with elbow pasta and mayo, rice pasta gets hard when in the fridge to get cold. Any tips on making a homemade egg or spring roll. Also when i make motzerella sticks in my deep fryier the cheese melts in to mush any suggestions? this is three questions,but are the things my daughter misses and i have a hard time with. MUCH THANKS!

What is the trick to making great dressing for turkey. I have my Mom’s receipe which is basic onions, celery, celery salt, pepper,eggs, chicken broth — the problem is that the eggs and chicken broth do not get absorb by the bread and it comes out dry and the cubes of bread don’t bind together. Please help!
Thank you!!!

Hi Carol…biscuits seem to be challenging for me to convert to GF. What do you recommend as to the amount of baking powder and baking soda? I would like to have light airy biscuits not heavy leaden ones. Will butter work to lighten the mix? Thank you.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the many questions. I’ve learned so much from your answers. I have never made gluten free bread. I am intimidated by the choices of flour, the process, and the cost. Still I would like to try. Could you please share any tips or tricks for a virgin gluten free bread maker? Thanks so much!

Carol,
Gerry can say that again; or I will! Quick, easy and healthy is my favorite way to cook. I like ideas for raw foods and easy recipes using alternate grains, such as quinoa and buckwheat. Thanks for your good work,
Mariana

Carol,
I’m in college and I have to use a mini-fridge. What are some delicious meals and snacks that don’t include a lot of ingredients but are a little more creative than my old standard of rice cakes and peanut butter?
Thanks,
Morgan

Growing up, my Mexican grandmother made the best flour tortillas all stretchy and puffed up with manteca (lard) and white flour. Do you have any suggestions for those of us who would love a big potato and egg burrito??
Karin in Los Angeles

Over the summer I realized my old (pre-diagnosis) favorite home-made ice cream recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of flour. It is cooked, thickened on the stovetop before chilling and freezing. What do you think the best substitute GF flour would be? Thanks.

I’m new to the GF lifestyle and I just baked my first batch of rolls. Since I am the only person in my family who is GF I need to freeze portions. My question is; why are the rolls hard even after they have thawed and is there a recipe for bread/rolls you can recommend that freezes well?

Hi Carol,
I’m alway’s looking for a high in fiber and lower in fat baked items. What flours would be best to add fiber and still have a great taste? Any substitute for the fat in a recipe.
Thank you for all your hard work in the celiac community.
Thank you, Claire

Is there a good recipe for GF sourdough out there? I have to say that it is one of the foods I most crave and can’t find a recipe for. I have found a pre-made sourdough bread, but at over $6.00 a loaf I don’t get it often. Maybe your new cook book has one?

I have made a yellow cake several times, it is one recommended on Silly Yaks I believe, but I found it on Allrecipes. It was excellent the first time, but despite following the instructions exactly each time I have made it since then it has turned out not so well. This last time it was very spongy and heavy. The recipe calls for 4 eggs, and the ones I had were very large. Should I have possibly done two eggs and two egg whites? Or is there something else that causes the sponginess?

Carol, my question is about chocolate chip cookies. I can make/adapt just about any recipe from wheat flour to gluten free with the exception of choc chip cookies. They always seem to spread too much. I have tried multiple recipes, multiple flour mixes, butter vs shortening but nothing seems to work. Any ideas?
Thanks.

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Thanks for stopping by! I'm Kelly Courson and this is where I've shared my gluten-free finds since 2003. The world has been my gluten-free oyster for 14 years now and I love sharing what I've learned in order to help others adapt to a gluten-free diet. Have a look around and feel free to leave a comment. Connecting with people like you is what has kept me going this long! Seriously.
Chow!